Olympic Dreams Poem by david lessard

From all nations they come; hopeful, excpectant, full of dreams of greatness.
Their bodies are honed to perfection, their minds geared to extra fine sharpness.
For some, it is all over in scant seconds, for others, it is measured in minutes, and for still others, it may well consist of hours or days.
They run, they jump, they soar and glide with majestic beauty.
They toil and sweat and grunt and groan with awesome power.
For the gold, the silver and the bronze.
So many countries, so many different faces, so many skins of varied color.
Champions in their own homelands, they merge together every four years...at some designated spot, to 'strut their stuff', to present to the world, their special talents, their unique physical attributes and mental gifts.
In a magical two week show, they give of themselves,
That which we ourselves cannot give,
But can only applaud.